Pros and Cons of Raw Feeding
I've sort of kind of done it a few times,adding some raw chicken pieces to the kibble. The crew gets cow hooves (the cartilege and bone-the hoof has been removed) every so often.Love those,because they really clean their teeth and they keep them busy for several days of chewing.Also they are very inexpensive-6large feet for $6 at the grocery store. I've always backed away thinking something bad might happen. I read a postive article in the natural section of Dog World last month and thought about doing some more trials. I feed TASTE OF THE Wild-fish (my GSD has a grain allergy),they get Omega 3-6-9,yogurt,extra fruits and vegetables. This morning I was deboning a turkey and divided the neck and giblets among the three,and added the blood to their kibble.I don't plan on getting totally away from kibble but would like to add some raw meat a few times a week. Would really like to hear others experieces. Like I said the uck factor doesn't bother me (I'm a nurse),also we have tile floors with no rugs. |
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| I've been raw feeding since I got Henry last year. It was a requirement of his breeder. I was a bit apprehensive about it but it has been fantastic. The best thing is how it improved Maggie's digestion. Kibble always seemed to go right through her. Bleck. With the raw diet, it is clear that they digest really really well (if you know what I mean). I also love that it makes meals challenging and interesting for them because I often feed semi-frozen and so it takes time for them to chomp through their meals. And I love feeding them big meaty bones (like beef back ribs on sale) because they are just so excited and work at them for hours. It has turned out to be surprisingly convenient because you can buy food with your own groceries although I also include prepared raw diets and green tripe that you can only get at a specialty dog store. The green tripe, which I refer to as "the stinkbomb" is really good for them and they love it. (Not to be confused with the bleached white tripe they sell at the grocery store). I don't feed any supplements -- just a mix of meat, bone and organs and also the green tripe. In terms of health, I think everyone would agree that Maggie's coat looks better than ever and Henry's is just a dream. They are bright-eyed, active and happy. The one thing that made it easier for me is that I got a separate freezer so I can stock up on meat & poultry when it is on sale. Contrary to what some people think, there is no need to actually grind anything. Their teeth do a great job and it keeps them clean. |
| I'm curious about feeding raw, too. I always thought it would be pretty expensive to feed raw. How much do you feed and what is your grocery bill like for your dogs? |
| I was buying very expensive kibble and I had to feed Maggie alot just to keep the weight on her, so I haven't noticed an increase in $$ per dog when I switched. It might actually be cheaper for me because she doesn't need to eat as much. I tend to buy meats that range from $0.50 to $3.00 per pound, including beef, chicken and turkey. I was told not to feed raw pork to them. And they are supposed to get about 2% of their ideal body weight per day. For Maggie, that's 1.5 pounds per day. Henry needs a bit more due to his puppy metabolism. There's a yahoo group that has alot of good info: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/ http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html |
| I was wondering if you were following Edy's original feeding regime for Sir Henry. Obviously it suits him and the Mags quite well. |
| Okay lets see if this posts - last one disappeared. We feed RAW. We have been doing it going on two years. My best example is the change in our 10y/o Irish Setter who went from a dull lifeless coat to a glossy deep red coat (it used to be more orange) and has the energy of a puppy (not a good thing in an Irish setter  )I buy from a restaurant supplier (human grade); from someone who coordinates deliveries from suppliers (both human grade and not); from a pet food supplier and sometimes in the grocery store. Dan picked up over 200 pounds of meat from the restaurant supplier last night for less than $.50 a pound on average. It was chicken backs and turkey necks. We also get ground beef for 75 cents a pound, just got a source for lamb necks for $1.10 a pound and ground turkey for 80 cents a pound. I buy pork in the grocery store on sale, stock up on turkeys at thanksgiving and make good use of my two chest freezers to keep plenty in stock. I also give my wo canned or fresh Mackeral occassionally (drives Dan crazy  )when we fed kibble we spent about $200 a month on kibble and treats and bones. Now we spend a little over half of that in an average onth and I also buy some of my own food from the restaurant supplier at a much lower cost than the grocery store (such as boneless chicken breasts for $160 a pound). I use the steam cleaner to clean up after we repackage and I keep the current food in the fridge in a large plastic storage container. If we have ground beef we add some ceggies for carbs and the dogs also get some of our leftovers (lamb from Easter was a big hit) Once we got used to it I didn't find it any mor edifficult to do than feed kibble and actually buying it is easier than the kibble since no one in our area sells a quality kibble. I do feed TOW when we travel and will use NB for a treat when I don't have time to dehydrate steak or chicken. As for supplements - sometimes yes, sometimes no (more yes than no) and it depends on the dog what they get. |
| Okay, maybe I just have always misinterpreted feeding raw... for some reason, I thought you would just feed a raw chicken thigh, or some such. So you feed raw ground turkey and hamburger meat? This is going to sound stupid... but can you take pictures of what dinner looks like for your dogs? I guess I'm struggling with a visual here. |
I do just give mine raw chicken and turkey parts (legs, thighs, wings, necks, backs) along with beef or bison ribs, lamb shanks, osso buco, and whatever else is on sale. As a matter of convenience, I supplement with raw food ground specifically for dogs in that it includes bones and organs. In my local grocery, ground meat generally costs more than chicken wings or thighs so I don't choose that -- plus I like them to have a challenge. When I first switched Maggie over, she would gulp down the entire chicken thigh and it would come right back up intact.  She had to learn how to tear it apart and grind the bones with her molars. I will dig out some cute pictures. . . I find it very comical to see them eat like barbarians. |
| I like ground for the ease of adding supplements or whatever, but they get bones too. i think there are as many ways to feed raw as there are people who do it |
Thanks for the info. I think I'll continue to slide into this. Its been 10hrs since the turkey breakfast and everyone is doing fine. Wish I hadn't thrown out the backs. I agree they seem to like it. My OES puppy had to watch the Golden to figure out how to eat her part of the neck(once a stray always a stray-my golden was a rescue) Ripley the OES really enjoyed the neck once she figured out what to do with it. Only down side, I was surrounded when I pulled my part of the turkey out of the oven this evening-guess they thought it was part two of mom's experiment in puppy feeding  I looked up green tripe,makes sense why you feed it. I'm going to check with the goat and beef dealers at the local farmers market this weekend. Their animals are grass fed and organic.Maybe we can make a deal on something they may be throwing out  We're getting a new larger freezer next week-love energy rebates. Things may get easier than I thought. Also I cook alot and would love to have a use for everything,the two legged family members won't eat. I'm glad this subject is out of the closet-I know it has been going on for awhile,specially since all the kibble issue the last several years. Any other experiences or comments please keep them coming I'm really curious,and realize this isn't such a crazy idea. |
| I can't feed green tripe to my OES. One barfs the minute she gets a mouth full, the other one ends up with pancreatitis within days of eating any off it. jme |
| I have a good friend who feeds her 2 great danes raw. She has big dogs - they are show dogs and weight pull boys too. Danes are real prone to skin and digestive issues, and they do much better on raw. Stool volume decreases d/t better digestibility on raw - and that's a wonderful thing w/ big dogs! Kristen feeds a mixture of meats - both ground (have their own grinder) and whole, bones, green tripe, veggies, yogurt and probiotics. Last time I talked to her about amounts, her 3 yr old was eating 2.5-3 lbs and her young boy (just over a year now) was eating 5 lbs. |
furry and four paws wrote: I'm glad this subject is out of the closet-I know it has been going on for awhile,specially since all the kibble issue the last several years. Any other experiences or comments please keep them coming I'm really curious,and realize this isn't such a crazy idea. It's not in the closet at all. You'll get a lot of flack if you talk about it on the OES rescue list, but a lot of breeders and/or performance people feed raw and there's even an OES yahoo list called natural oes I think it is (Kerry?) devoted to feeding raw among other things. Kristine |
| ^^^^ Yep Natural OES is the list. Keep in mind, many people startout feeding a commercial mix (we did) and then move on to the do it yourself option as they feel more comfortable. |
| Interesting about the rescue group. Its was Steve Schott(deceased past president of Texas OES Rescue)was the one who initially got me interested in raw feeding and using premium/natural kibble about 5 years ago.My breeder is involved or follows the natural OES site. Her dogs and puppies are extremely healthy. Five years ago I couldn't find very much about raw,and was discouraged by my vet. My medical brain has to understand the science,at least now there's alot more to read and I like what people are saying. Thanks again for everyones comments. Like I said ,I'm going to slide into this.Will start with 50/50 TOTW and raw chicken. I like the idea of the beasts having to work on their food  .Don't like putting down kibble,turning around and its all gone (hey guys did you even taste it !)Hubby is happy no diarrhea from the 100lb GSD,our resident all around sensitive boy.So am I since he handed me a roll of paper towels when I told him what I had fed the kids  |
| One thing with raw is you don't need ot switch over slowly - it actually seems to be better for them to make the switch sudden. If you wan tot feed kibble and raw its best to feed one at one meal and the other at the other meal. Also on raw I feed only once a day - bloat isn't as much of an issue. Poop is much smaller and if you miss some in the yard when you mow or step on it it turns to almost bone meal and well - i have a very plush backyard  Cons (none were mentioned before): explaining it to friends or your food supplier. Most people think we are nuts. Most of my dog friends (performance) though feed raw and we trade sources all the time. Finding a vet who supports it. Some vets are very apt to blame every instance of upset on salmonella. Dogs pass salmonella in their feces, but aren't likely to suffer the extreme effects of it as people (always wear gloves to pick up poop!) |
| Val, how often do you feed the Dynamic Duo? Once or twice a day? |
I like to feed them twice a day because that makes it easier to give Henry more food without Maggie noticing. But I often will feed just once a day and they seem to do fine with that too. Although I am a bit less nervous about bloat with raw than with kibble, I still make sure that I never feed them within an hour of exercise and so that plays a big role in their food schedule. So, for example, on the day that they go to the groomer, I take them to the park really early in the morning to get them good and tired before I drop them off at the groomers. But I don't get up early enough to feed them and then wait an hour before giving them exercise. Also, when we travel by car, I usually feed them after we've gotten to wherever we are going. And sometimes, I feed them once a day because I forgot to put something out to defrost.  They don't really have a set schedule. They don't seem to mind and it works really well for me.  |
| My butcher had goat recently my guys are in heaven love it. Does anyone else skip meals? About once a week I skip a feeding. I read it in a book by kymythy schultze she suggests a fast day. They rarely have stomach problems on raw & small poops |
| Marley self fasts - the boys might eat my arm if I tried it |
| Langley doesn't eat a couple meals a week on his own. Laika, she loves to eat. |
Okay day two of raw chicken.Hubbie keeps telling me any clean up is mine  Was able to get chicken thighs on sale yesterday.Hubbie wasn't happy because we were hosting a brunch today.I was sorta of worried the house wouldn't be fun,if someone had issues last night.Thank god everyone did fine. So far no loose stools. The boys think the whole thing is wonderful ( like I said once a stray always a stray).I think my long haired GSD,knew his way around a chick coup in a prior life. He had the biggest pieces.Three licks four crunches and he was done.The golden wasn't far behind. Now the little OES princess. What can I say Ripley has been spoiled rotten from the day she was born. She licked the meat and sat and watched the golden. She keep looking at him looking at me then staring at the thigh. With the boys circling,I decided to help.Once I cut it up,she had no problem figuring what to do.She had no trouble crunching down the bone. I'm going to continue the TOTW kibble in the morning and raw at night. I'm going to keep a closer tab on what feeding them is costing.Prior to this,it just been need dog food,go get it. I have a pretty good idea how long a bag lasts and what I'm spending a month. I want to closely track the cost of raw and the cost of kibble. I guess more importantly how are they doing on it. I've join the Natural OES forum.Hope to learn more. Clean up isn't a problem,the kids lick the tile clean. Only issue,now they think anytime meat comes out of the frig. its for them.  I had them well trained to stay out of the work area of the kitchen when I'm cooking,that has gone out the door  |
| Remember, it is more than just raw meat and bones. In time you should be adding veggies and eventually the "stink bomb" (perfect name Val) green tripe. Books I have stressed not feeding kibble as the digestive system gears itsself to one or the other. Don't know if that's true, but you can blame it if the poops have a problem. Getting them into veggies takes awhile, that's where a blender or food processor helps get it into a goop then each gets a spoonful of goop to start. If the goop is with the good stuff, then the good stuff wins out. |
| Val and Kerry are you feeding veggies or just meat. My crew has no problems with fruit and veggies.The golden and the oes will try to take an apple away from you.My oes hasn't met a veggie she doesn't like. Planned on have kibble/raw till I totally trusted things.... |
| I do add veggies - not always. Carrots, green beans (left overs ) and butternut squash usually. In the summer I add zucchini and other left over garden veggies. I also add left over sweet potatoes and rice. As for chicken (or turkey) its a good idea not to feed weight bearing bones (lgs) becasue they are more likely to splinter. I have fed them myslef, I do try to avoid them. A good place to find meat (especially organ meats, cheek meat etc) is Walmart. |
| Valerie can I ask,what instructions or guide lines did your breeder send you home with? One of the reasons I'm getting into this is I spend 5 years and lots of vet visits before I figured out myself my GSD had a grain allergy. All my guys are going quite well on TOTW. If I can do better I want to. I will say its been fun watching them attack the chicken thighs the last 3days, much better than them just inhaling the kibble |
| I'm a raw feeder.Marley has a beef allergy so has been raw fed for about a year now and he has gone from 56lbs to 82lbs in that time so i am very pleased as at one time we thought we were about to lose him . Kenley my pup is on 2 thirds raw 1 third kibbble.I have read somewhere you are supposed to feed the raw first as it digests quicker than the kibble and if it's the other way round it may cause upset tum.Don't know how true it is as i know lots that feed raw and kibble mixed. I feed meat and bone minced, whole meat and bone, veg,eggs, offal and fish. The lads are having venison and veg followed by goats yoghurt ,fruit and a bit of honey today for their lunch  I'm having cheese on toast |
kerry wrote: As for chicken (or turkey) its a good idea not to feed weight bearing bones (lgs) becasue they are more likely to splinter. I have fed them myslef, I do try to avoid them. . Oh I have been giving them chicken drumsticks. I do have a grinder I can grind the legs if you think they are iffy. |
| I think there are as many raw diets as there are types of kibble. I generally focus on the meet/bones/organs/tripe and don't make an effort to add veggies. I guess I tend to believe dogs are carnivores but I know there is a mix of opinions about this. I give chicken legs with no problem. I would start with bone-in chicken breasts and thighs until you know the dog will chomp the bones. I tend to take away the rib bones after they work them for a while because they do splinter. The instructions from Henry's breeder are roughly as follows: From 8 weeks to 3 months: Feed 4 times a day. At this time your puppy requires aprox. 10% of its weight of raw food, divided over 1 day, or 2-3% of his expected adult weight. With 3 meals ground and 1 meal RBM ( chicken back or necks) After 3 months feed puppy 3 times a day From 6 months, feed your puppy twice a day , f.i a raw ground mix , it is easier to add supplements, and the 2nd meal RMB chicken backs/ chicken leg quarter/ lamb ribs etc. Nupro/ Probiotics/egg/liver/heart/kidney /EsterC. Your puppy has been fed: Either mix of Green Tripe and beef/lamb/turkey/Mackerel, Salmon/chicken, with the addition of raw egg yolk and crushed shell( twice a week) the other days a mix of liver and heart/kidney only 10% of the food portion per day/ RMB( Raw Meaty Bones) chicken necks / chicken backs / chicken leg quarter/Lamb ribs/Beef Back ribs. About fish, we use canned Mackerel/Salmon/Sardines (in tomato sauce) Raw catfish nuggets or other( freezer burn) fish fillets. You may add vegetables raw but they have to be ground up in a food processor twice and not ,more than a table spoon per day. 1000 mg of Ester C once a day, Start the Ester C slowly as your puppy might get diarrhea from 1000 mg at once. About RMB ( Raw Meaty Bones) the best is to feed bone in meat approx. 70 % meat and 30% bone. Chicken feet are high in natural Chondroitin/Glucosamin which protects joints. For snacks/treats: Carrot, cheese, apple, piece of hot dog, chicken feet. Raw Knuckle bones are great for chewing when teething, also keeps your dogs teeth clean. Do not give weight baring bones( except chicken or other small animals with soft leg bones) as they might splinter and/or break teeth. DO NOT FEED : Onions, Grapes , Chocolate, Rawhide, Greenies, Pigs Ears, or small bones, No cooked chicken bones or whatever other bone, these can splinter and cause major problems. Only RAW. DO NOT feed raw pork as Pork can be affected with the Aujetzki virus, which is harmless to humans, but dogs and cats will die a horrible death and there is NO cure. Keep your puppy thin for the first year as puppy grow very fast and do not need extra weight on their bones. |
| Interesting. The pork statement is in much contention among breeders - many feed a lot of pork and the virus is suppossed to be eradicated in most countries. I know I have fed pork int he past when traveling and its cheaper to get |
| Okay, maybe this is my own ignorance and misunderstanding, but I always thought that you tried to stay away from raw pork was because of parasitic infestation. My sister-in-law got really sick from eating undercooked pork with some type of worm. I guess any creature is at risk of contamination whether through virus or parasite, though. |
* Capt. Obvious Danger wrote: Okay, maybe this is my own ignorance and misunderstanding, but I always thought that you tried to stay away from raw pork was because of parasitic infestation. My sister-in-law got really sick from eating undercooked pork with some type of worm. I guess any creature is at risk of contamination whether through virus or parasite, though. It used to be the case that pork had the risk of Trichinosis so it had to be cooked well-done but that parasite has been eliminated and it is now considered OK for people to eat rare pork. I am not familiar with the disease mentioned in Henry's feeding notes but I still avoid pork just to be safe. |
| Lots of people in the UK feed raw pork as well with no problems |
| excellent research notes http://www.rawmeatybones.com/diet/exp-diet-guide.pdf |
| so I am reading different answers on the internet to the pork no pork question. I have been feeding my dogs pork recently. Has anyone found legitimate proof that it is still bad for dogs. I guess I will hold of and ask my holistic vet. |
| Thanks Val for writing that all out. I'm on day 6 of raw feeding. Still only doing 1/2 TOTW kibble in the am and raw in the evenings. Hubbie is still not really on board, more like he is humoring me Also I have to keep it easy so he stays involved. Won't really know the total cost issues for another month. I am going for the prey model and not the BARF. It makes more sense to me.As far as the furry ones they seem to be liking it. My golden has gone back to have food guarding issues again,I guess he really likes raw. Being he saw a stray, its always been a slight issue, that we've kept under control. I don't think I will ever break him of it, especially now at 9 1/2. Normally the dogs eat in different corners of the kitchen. Tonight I feed the golden in the laundry room with the door closed. I've had no problems with loose stool . And everyone is right there is less,even getting 1/2 kibble. I'm going to be looking into if I can get goat fairly cheap. I also have lots of friends whose husbands hunt and fish at the coast. Will be interesting explaining why I want the parts that they may not Thanks for everyones comments. This really isn't that hard. And if my dogs like it and do better why not continue. The OES princess is definately getting the hang of things. It now only takes her a minute or two to start crunching |
furry and four paws wrote: Thanks Val for writing that all out. Actually, I cut and pasted. The document Kerry linked to is also very helpful. I'm glad it is going well for you and the doggies. |
furry and four paws wrote: My golden has gone back to have food guarding issues again,I guess he really likes raw. Being he saw a stray, its always been a slight issue, that we've kept under control. I have two I raised form puppies who get a little torqued up over their bones. |
| Felix has developed a really bad ear infection brought on by yeast issues...he doesn't get grains in his kibble at all, but I'm seriously thinking we need to go raw. I'm worried about bones because they don't get eaten fast enough to ensure that I won't have fights over them....I often will give one of my sheepies a knuckle to settle em down if hubbie and I want to watch a movie without a big furry friend standing in front of the screen, and refreeze it when we are done for later so that it won't be horded. They both get reeeallllly grumpy over bones, because they love them soooo much. I'm also curious...right now, we spend about $100 a month on treats, and their grain free food for the two pups (10 months old) what is the actual cost of feeding two male sheepies raw? Does anyone have an actual guesstimate if the average price of meat ranges from about 99 cents a pound to about 2.99 a pound? Or...is there a cheaper way to get meat that I'm not aware of yet? Right now, Ferdinand loooooves the raw food he gets here and there, so I know it would be easy to switch him over (except for the bone guarding...) but Felix...he doesn't seem to understand that he can eat anything but kibble, and the one time he DID eat ground beef...he puked it up alllllll over my bed. At first I thought he was puking up his GUTS, and then I realized it was the raw meatloaf I had left on the stove. sigh. Overall...he doesn't seem to know what to do with real food....and since the puking I've been hesitant. But...like I said, he smells like a bread factory, and licks his feet like crazy, and now, this horrid painful ear infection....it seems like a change has to be made in a more natural direction, and it makes sense to me to do it if I can afford it, and if I can figure out how to prevent interdog murder over bones...... |
| Well I'm am far from the expert here. I've only been doing this about three weeks but am very happy so far. Pro's:Stools are much less Teeth are cleaner-I usually brush teeth 3times a week. My 9yo golden was starting to get bad breath,on raw it is gone and I haven't brushed in the 3weeks they have been on raw They really enjoy it No one has had any gas-an issue with my GSD prior Con's Have to be more careful dealing with raw meat- really not an issue if one cooks real food alot Where to feed I have tile floors-wouldn't want to do it on carpet Need freezer space-really need to buy on sale or in bulk to make cost effective Need to think ahead to get meat out of the freezer- I bought a plastic container to keep several days in the frig. I think my dogs were pretty healthy before I started. I was feeding Taste of the Wild,they were getting yogurt,omega 3-6-9,and left overs from us. Cost I think varies depending on where you live and what kind of access you have to buying in bulk. I was spending $44 on a bag of TOTW. I have 255lbs of dogs to feed no one is over weight. Thats about $154 a month for me. Raw is approx. 5lbs of meat daily or 150lbs a month.I'm looking for a supplier to get cheaper meat than just the grocery store. Right now I feed TOTW in the am and raw at night. This is working for me. Bones are not an issue,including chicken legs. My crew just crunches them down. There are great sites on the net and the advice of others on the forum. Just like there are multiple human diets everyone does raw a little different. Find what works for you. The site Dog Food Analysis really opened my eyes to what is in some brands of kibble even the ones sold at the vets. I'm not against kibble at all just be an informed consumer. I have no more issues with Purina than I do with McDonalds.... other than to say I don't use either. My 16month OES learned to eat raw watching my GSD and Golden. It took her about 3days to totally figure it out. My Golden does food guard,and it got worse with raw. I just moved him to the laundry room and shut the door. I suspect the problem with your guy was the fat in the ground meat,it wasn't what he was used to. Go slow,one thing at a time,for about of a week. Most people use chicken as their primary source,as it is easy to get and reasonably priced. I'm sold on using a raw diet. If I can find a whole sale source and get my husband on board I may do totally raw. Even 50/50 I think my dogs are doing better. I'm a total believer in preventive health for me and my pets. I'd rather spend a little extra on good nutrition than vet bills or doctor bills |
| less stool mass and no gas will sell my husband on it FOR SURE! Do you give your dogs knuckle bones as well? Or are they mostly for gnawing interest? I think I'm in....I'm much more into holistic everything....I'd love to see the vet as little as possible in truth. Just as I prefer my naturopath to my doctor. Any other tips? What kinds of "treats" do you offer? for training or otherwise? Thanks... |
| Believe me I'm no purest by any means. I've learned and I've changed over the years with my dogs and our own diets . I've got a strong science back ground, so I do like facts. I also know sometimes you go with your gut. Treats/training foods are baked turkey,boiled liver (cut into small pieces-freezes well-thaws fast),natural balance duck and potato formula, and puppuroni beef treats I have used fresh cow hoofs I get in the "what is this meat section- do people really eat this ). I'm not sure I'll continue. The fat content is high and the crew (especially my GSD gets loose stools). Yes they love them. My bunch don't really fight over them. They all just keep circling each other then each finds their own corner to munch.If your planning on doing this its worth investing in a good pair of poutry shears and a sharp knife. Like I said I'm not an expert at all. I do like what I've done so far. I also like what I've heard people say on the forum that have raw fed for awhile. Is your puppy that has a yeast infection on a kibble that has grain in it? |
emerging butterfly wrote: less stool mass and no gas will sell my husband on it FOR SURE! Do you give your dogs knuckle bones as well? Or are they mostly for gnawing interest? I think I'm in....I'm much more into holistic everything....I'd love to see the vet as little as possible in truth. Just as I prefer my naturopath to my doctor. Any other tips? What kinds of "treats" do you offer? for training or otherwise? Thanks... In my limited experience, knuckle bones are just for gnawing. I am not a raw purist. I give all kinds of treats -- from meat, hot dogs, and cheese to Stella & Chewy's freeze dried patties to frozen marrow bones to doggie biscuits and even kibble (which they love as a tiny training treat). |
| So I went to pick up my meat from the butcher. Ground hamburger and goat with bones. He comes out of the freezer with Green tripe! I know I asked him if he had heart once but that goes quick. Anyways he said he had a lady asked and he said no he didn't want to deal with that. Then he googled it and come to realized it is big in the raw feeder. He said he gave some to his dogs and the went crazy for it. So he gave me a bag for free. I have heard the smell is bad. But that isn't what got me I let it thaw so I can cut it up for smaller portions I want to slow the incorporate it into their meals. Well the texture when I cut it (I had big rubber gloves on too) made me absolutely weak! I thought I was going to faint. That is going to take some getting used too. If anyone else give tripe how much are they giving? ACK!!! if feel sick thinking on it. My freezers are full of meat. Not one thing for me. I don't eat processed food so nothing in my freezer is mine all dog!! haha |
| I guess being a nurse and being used to gross things and funny smells is finally paying off Not sure I'm looking forward to the tripe |
| what exactly IS tripe? |
| the stomach it is so weird and gross! i must love my dogs. Because I almost fainted!!!! |
| O.k....stomach .....hummmmm...... is there a NEED to feed them stomach??? Or can I skip that? heh heh. Not sure my hubby could manage dealing with that....he's virtually a vegitarian and has a hard time with organs. But, I think stomach would have him emptying HIS in the toilet. |
| Thanks for sharing the raw info links, Val. It's helping me to cope! I'm such a wimp about this. My plan is to start Bumble on chicken only to see if his skin will begin to improve... then rotate to another variety of meat after a couple/few weeks so we can rule out a protein allergy. Maybe eliminating all grains from his diet will clear up his skin. Day 1- Tonight Bumble had raw chicken for dinner.  (And he LIKED it! That just seems to go against what mama always said about raw poultry! )We're going to grind the chicken/bones/organ meats, at first anyway. I ordered a grinder today that can also do chicken bones. I know... the dog is supposed to be the grinder. Our vet's on board with trying this if we grind the chicken bones up (baby steps for both of us). Hoping that by grinding the raw foods it will help to keep things a little cleaner too... that I'll only have to wash Bumble's face after each meal and not his legs and chest too. |
emerging butterfly wrote: O.k....stomach .....hummmmm......is there a NEED to feed them stomach??? Or can I skip that? heh heh. Not sure my hubby could manage dealing with that....he's virtually a vegitarian and has a hard time with organs. But, I think stomach would have him emptying HIS in the toilet. Green tripe is not just the stomach -- it is the stomach AND its contents. So that means they get all sorts of nasty greens and digestive enzymes, amino acids, etc. I've been told that it also is great for dogs due to the perfect balance of calcium and phosphorous. More info: http://www.truecarnivores.com/greentripe.shtml In any event, my dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It is by far the most disgusting thing I serve them. |
| You really don't need the grinder. If you start with chicken thighs, he should do fine. And it is so much easier for you. Really. Grinding is a mess. I tried it and quickly gave it up. Or you can buy pre-ground. I use a brand called "Oma's Pride." The 5 pound packs are perfect. The 10 pounders are a bit unwieldy I store the excess in round glad containers. 6Girls wrote: Thanks for sharing the raw info links, Val. It's helping me to cope! I'm such a wimp about this. My plan is to start Bumble on chicken only to see if his skin will begin to improve... then rotate to another variety of meat after a couple/few weeks so we can rule out a protein allergy. Maybe eliminating all grains from his diet will clear up his skin. Day 1- Tonight Bumble had raw chicken for dinner. (And he LIKED it! That just seems to go against what mama always said about raw poultry! )We're going to grind the chicken/bones/organ meats, at first anyway. I ordered a grinder today that can also do chicken bones. I know... the dog is supposed to be the grinder. Our vet's on board with trying this if we grind the chicken bones up (baby steps for both of us). Hoping that by grinding the raw foods it will help to keep things a little cleaner too... that I'll only have to wash Bumble's face after each meal and not his legs and chest too. |
| I'll work toward feeding the whole thing whole . I'm probably more concerned about salmonella than I need to be... but my husband's in his 70's. I may have a grinder for sale soon after it arrives. If the dog is a gulper, do you just feed larger pieces like chicken quarters? I bookmarked the Oma's Pride website... that might be good alternative for us. Thanks again! |
| I went from thighs to bone-in-breasts and eventually to drumsticks, full legs, and then quarters. It was harder for Maggie to figure out how to handle the quarters until she gained practice with the smaller pieces. She gulped and promptly regurgitated a few drumsticks before she got the hang of it. (I just waited for her to give it another try since it was in perfect condition. ) I also feed chicken and turkey necks. It took a while for them to grow to love them but now they do. I think they are too bony for beginners but I started feeding them again recently and they really love them. And I feed chicken backs. My market sells relatively meaty ones for 99 cents/pound. You have to make sure to feed enough meat though if you choose these bony products. It helps to balance out of they have kibble or treats that makes them soft. You can add some neck or back and firm them right up again. Besides tripe, the thing they love most of all is beef/buffalo back ribs. I get the butcher to cut them into individual ribs and then I freeze them and give them frozen. They will work at them for hours. I actually just let them go at it on the floor (tile or wood). I haven't gotten sick from it but I am also not particularly vulnerable. They seem to lick it clean and I mop regularly. For non-messy things like the frozen ribs, I even let them have them on the carpet but never on the couch. Kinda gross I guess. But I am scrupulous about cleaning the counters, knives, etc. |
| I used a grinder at first too eventually you will ween yourself off the grinder. |
| Thanks again for all the information! |
| My friend Kristen with her 2 danes uses the grinder for some stuff (not sure which ones though). Because they need so much for 2 really big dogs, grinding and packing it in takes up less space in the freezer. They do have a dedicated dog freezer too! |
| Is there any raw diet that is composed of fish only? Can dogs eat raw fish? |
HeatherRWM wrote: Is there any raw diet that is composed of fish only? Can dogs eat raw fish? I don't know about fish only...but raw salmon is a sled dog staple here in Alaska. |
| Izzie gets fed mackeral (canned) about once a week. Half a can for each meal (two meals a day). She gets ground meat, meat with bone most of the time. We also give her canned Tripett (spelling?) about once a week as well. |
| I tried the canned stuff adding just a little at a time still upset there bellies. They cannot handle anything slightly processed. They can eat it fresh and raw (stomach) I think age helps too; Laika is so much better her poos are hard. Langley still has mushy ones more than often. |
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